Let me just start by telling you this. The only reason I started running two years ago is to run on trails. I don’t run just to run. I run to see things, to have adventures. I’ve never really liked running on roads either - the pounding, the pavement, the cars… the road to hell.
But when I broke my wrist (running on trails) at the beginning of December, I got stuck with only two options - running on the treadmill (and occasionally roads after dark and if not icy in Maine winter), or not running. And, I guess, for the person I am today, not running is no longer an option.
In the last seven weeks, since the fall, I’ve done all I can to keep strong and fit. I have biked 356 miles on the indoor bike; I've run 50 miles on roads and 158 miles on the treadmill - ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT MILES on the treadmill! The treadmill. The treadmill. The treadmill. Can you hear it?
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| Broken radius in three places. |
I have watched many, many, many, many shows. Here are just a few I remember:
-Queer Eye (season 6… so good!)
-The Hook Up Plan (rom-com in French..so many lies!)
-Offspring (Australian rom-com.. people never learning from their mistakes.)
-Virgin River (Worst show EVER… I watched every season.)
-Summertime (Teenage rom-com in Italian… lots of women with very toned butts wearing thongs.)
Yes, I know, that's a lot of rom-coms, but to my defense they are in languages I'm fluent in and never get to practice, so that's my excuse. I’ve also watched documentaries, which made me feel like maybe I was killing fewer brain cells. Some of those:
-Becoming (Michelle Obama)
-Homecoming (Beyonce)
-Where I Am (Dolly Parton)
-The Game Changers (plant-based superheroes)
-Above Us Only Sky (John & Yoko)
If I run early in the morning, I watch Ted Talks, to try to at least get smarter, though since I tend to forget anything scientific almost immediately, I can't say this is a worthwhile plan.
Not running trails has exacerbated my chronic anxiety. Last year at this time, I was out in the woods, on trails almost every day, and doing long runs on weekends, which made this cold, dark time of year bearable, and even exciting. To make the last seven weeks even more challenging, I’ve been in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices at least ten times - for the broken wrist and for a variety of other unrelated issues that are just as annoying but maybe a topic for another day. I only find it relevant to mention here because, as much as I find running on the treadmill depressing, I find waiting rooms in doctors’ offices and hospitals shockingly more so. I realize this is off topic for a running blog. But good lord, just look at this:
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Waiting for an x-ray in 2021 or 1975. Notice the kids' area in the back. |
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| Close-up of the kids' area. |
Of course, there’s absolutely nothing else to do but get back to the trails. I miss my running community. It’s been a lonely couple of months. And, after all, running trails is about being fearless in the face of fear. At least it is for me.
Lately, I’ve gone back to my gratefulness journal, because when things truly suck you’ve got to shift gratefulness into your highest gear. For all my lack of enthusiasm for running in place, I have much to be grateful for. I broke a wrist and not a foot. My body is still getting stronger. I have some great races to look forward to this year. The days are getting longer, and spring is just around the corner (sort of). Adventures are awaiting, and I’ll be ready.
